Rating: 5 stars (Spotlight Review)
What are the odds of a mafia hit man joining the Federal Witness Protection Program, only to end up as a professional life saver? What are the odds of him being put in the position of saving the life of one of his former mafia associates, in order to save his own? How many prescription uppers does a sleep deprived intern need to make it through a really bad day? And how does Assman fit in to all of this, anyway?
Beat the Reaper is the first novel from Josh Bazell, and deserves every bit of hype it is currently receiving. The writing is slick, the tension is tight, the plot is twisted and the characters are well-drawn.
Some might argue that the rampant profanity is gratuitous, but let's face it: "fuck" is something we often think of as a mafia character staple, in all its infinite permutations.There's just enough sex to give the book a dirty edge, and more than enough violence to give it the expected grit. All of it is well executed, perfectly striking that difficult balance between "exciting" and "unbelievable".
The best thing about Beat the Reaper is that Bazell has strung it together so deftly that it's difficult to put it down for longer than the time it takes to whip up a mug of coffee. While it is loaded with technical details, Beat the Reaper completely sidesteps the tedium that comes with those in so many other novels, and keeps them so on-target and to-the-point that they are eminently relevant. The ending is stunning, and ties back to the first chapter in a really surprising way - pay close attention to those footnotes! As a bonus, Bazell wraps the whole package in a certain subtle, sick humor that gives Beat the Reaper that much greater dimension.
If you absolutely must read only one book published this January, Beat the Reaper is arguably the best choice you can make. (Unless you have problems with sex, violence and the vocabulary of longshoremen... in which case you are probably at the wrong book review site. May I recommend DiscerningReader.com, instead?) My only warning is that if you have a sensitive stomach or overwhelmingly vivid imagination, be prepared for a few scenes of graphic violence. They do not detract from the book in any way, and they'll certainly lend towards appreciating exactly what a badass Dr. Peter Brown really is. Although there is no mention of a sequel - and the story ends cleanly enough that there is not a clear argument for one - I'm actually hoping there will be a follow-up to Beat the Reaper.
Beat the Reaper is such an excellent read that I only have one question: Josh Bazell, will you marry me?
(I hope my boyfriend isn't reading this...)
(5 stars because the Editor In Chief won't allow 6)
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Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (January 7, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0316032220
ISBN-13: 978-0316032223